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Outdoor activities were canceled in Carson Valley on Thursday as a result of smoke and ash from the 53,866-acre Rim fire burning near Yosemite National Park.

Douglas High School canceled practice, as smoke from the fire filled Carson Valley, obscuring the mountains and turning the sky orange.

Pop Warner football and cheerleading practice was cancelled on Thursday due to the smoke.

The smoke was so thick, it showed up on National Weather Service radar. Several people reported ash from the fire falling in the Valley.

The fire is burning brush, oak and pine in the Tuolumne River canyon. Highway 120, the entrance to Yosemite, is closed four miles west of the Groveland Ranger Station.

Douglas County Emergency Management issued an alert for unsafe amounts of smoke in the Valley on Thursday afternoon.

The National Weather Service said the smoke had reduced visibility in the Valley to 2-4 miles.

Forecasters say that as long as the fire is burning, smoke and haze will continue to linger in the Valley.

“People who may be especially sensitive to elevated levels of pollutants include the very young, the elderly and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma and/or heart disease,” according to the county alert. “Those with symptoms should consider consulting with their personal physician.”